


Coins

by FeatherQuilt88



Series: The Amber Dragon Anthology [11]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Comedy, Cute, Cute Kids, Four Elements, Humor, Multi, Post-Canon, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24461854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatherQuilt88/pseuds/FeatherQuilt88
Summary: Chiko (fancharacter) likes to collect coins, and Katara wants her opinion on something.
Relationships: Haru/Katara (Avatar)
Series: The Amber Dragon Anthology [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988473
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	Coins

**Author's Note:**

> Note the First: Chiko is my main ATLA fancharacter, an orphan Iroh found and adopted the year after "Sozin's Comet." The two of them live in Capital City with Zuko in my fanfics.
> 
> Note the Second: As the tags indicate, Haru and Katara are a couple in this fic's universe. I have absolutely nothing against "Kataang" shippers, just as I don't against "Maiko" shippers--"Jinko" and "Harutara" just happened to be the pairings I wanted to feature in my "Amber Dragon" fanfic series.
> 
> Note the Third: I admittedly fudged some canon details about currency here (namely, in the show, there were a few Fire Nation coins that were pentagonal, and Water Tribe money didn't appear to be octagonal), and made up my own names for them (brands, splangs, and grits) but hey... fanwork is AU, after all.

In one of Caldera City's gardens, a pair of camellia bushes rustle, as a little head peeks out between them. Chiko scans the nearby courtyard--this particular garden is perhaps the capital's finest, and is therefore the haunt of many an ambassador. There is a large sundial here at its center, surrounded by flame-red stones, with the camellia-beds completing the circle. Chiko has lost track of how many dignitaries she has spotted here already.

It's rather fun, being the adoptive daughter of Sir Iroh-- _Prince_ Iroh, Chiko reminds herself, to give her guardian his official title. It's not nearly as important as the fact that they love each other, of course--that they chose each other as a forever-family, from the moment Iroh found the little girl toddling on his and Zuko's ship, three months ago. But having the funny old man as her father makes it easy for Chiko to move amongst different classes, just as he does. One day in "Big Ko's" royal court, another stopping at a local noodle-shop, just like a commoner.

She is dressed in her very normal, very comfortable little pink kimono today. Bapa has told her not to wander too far off, but she knows this courtyard is in sight of the palace steps. Bapa and Big Ko don't mind her playing here, while they keep watch from the polished basalt, some yards away.

Today, she is on a mission. Some of Big Ko's friends are visiting, for the second time since her adoption. Chiko has her eye on one of them in particular. Fire dignitaries are obviously everywhere in this city--and Earth ones are very common, too, especially after the embassy being built. But Water folk are a little rarer.

***

Katara is talking with a rather slender Earthbender. The two of them are bickering, but in a pleasant way, often breaking into laughter. Suddenly, the young Water Tribe lady feels a tug at her dress-hem--two soft but purposeful pulls, like the ringing of a bell-rope.

She looks down, to see a Fire Nation child in a typical topknot and pink kimono. The little amber eyes shine hopefully up at her. "C'n I have some Water Tribe money, Miss Kat?" the girl suddenly asks with a gap-toothed smile, holding up a single Fire Nation coin.

Katara blinks for one moment, in confusion--then, her memory registers where she had seen this particular child's face before. "Oh! It's Chiko, isn't it?" her grin matches the little one's, now.

The young Earth Kingdom man at her side whispers to her. "Who?" he wants to know--his face is very pleasant, not rude at all, but he has the timid look of a newcomer. This is clearly not his city, not his people.

"It's Iroh's girl. They found her on a ship," Katara turns to him, smiling. "Iroh, remember? Zuko's uncle."

"--Oh! Oh," the boy nods then, apparently having finally found a reference point.

"Chiko, this is my boyfriend, Haru," Katara introduces them, proudly hooking the Earthbender's arm in her own.

Haru smiles at the child now too, gently but broadly. "Hi!" he waves his free hand by curling its fingers up and down.

Chiko returns the cute gesture with her own pudgy hand. "Hi!" she grins up at him, with the sing-song little "hi-yeeeee" typical of children.

"And you were wanting some Water coins, weren't you?" Katara remembers, noting the extended, silver Fire coin still in the child's other hand.

Chiko bobs her head, sweetly but vigorously. Katara chuckles, and reaches for her bag--a pretty little thing, draped with blue tassels. She would have given Chiko a couple of bronze splangs with no hesitation, but she accepts the child's five-brand piece anyway, so as not to offend her. She fishes out its equivalent, silver eight-splang from her purse. Then, halfway through giving it to her, she stops.

"--Hey Chiko? I tell you what," Katara sprouts half an impish grin. "I'll give you this eight-splang piece, AND two extra single copper splangs to go with it, if you'll give us your opinion on something."

Chiko's own, gap-toothed grin opens even wider, clearly getting excited. "What is it??"

"As an impartial observer--" the Waterbender suddenly puts the flat of her palm over her boyfriend's mouth-- "do you think Haru looks better with his mustache, or without it?"

Chiko cocks her head, considering her answer. Her Bapa's kindly words echo in her mind. _"You mustn't make anyone feel bad about their appearance, little one."_

"If Haru likes his mustache, he should keep it," she smiles up at them both, succinctly and innocently. Katara does not reply as readily to this, but Haru positively beams, beneath said mustache.

" _There,_ you see, Katara?!" he elbows his girlfriend gently. "From out of the mouths of babes!"

"You could have even more fun with it if you grew it out more, though, like my Bapa's beard!" Chiko gabbles on, now encouraged. "He lets me tie ribbons and flowers in it sometimes, except not on days we have to go to Big Ko's court," she giggles.

Haru blinks, and now Katara seems to be the one chuckling. " _Ohhh_ kay, Chiko, thank you for your input," she grins again, though in a more patient and maternal and less impish way now. She bends down to give the child the promised coins. Chiko gasps, hugging the little octagonal pieces to her chest.

"Now don't spend it all on candy!--" Katara adds admonishingly, suddenly remembering _which_ child she is dealing with (and the influence of said child's gluttonous guardian by extension).

"Oh, I'm _never_ gonna spend _these!_ " Chiko squeals happily, bouncing off with her prizes--eager to place them alongside the feathers and ribbons and other such scraps she's collected from Capital City visitors. "They're goin' in my treasure-box!" 

Chiko has a sizable handful of the circular grits, with their square holes, from the Earth ambassadors; and, though she and her family see them every day, she has added a few of the rectangular, flame-engraven brands from her allowance, just so Fire will be represented too. The little girl nearly bubbles over with excitement. Now she has the whole collection!


End file.
